Community Hands-on Training for only $20.00
Chainsaw Safety and Pruning is being hosted by Willoughby Farms
Date: July 12, 2023
Time: 7:30am to 3:30pm (1 hour lunch)
Location: Willoughby Farms
Address: 631 Willoughby Ln, Collinsville, IL 62234
*Class Limit: 20 Students
**CEU’s Available: 7
***Please bring a bag lunch
Made Possible with Grant money from the Illinois DNR
The IAA is offering Community “Hands-on” training, made possible with grant money from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Thank You Illinois Department of Natural Resources!
*All attendees attending the training must bring eye protection meeting the ANSI Z87 Standard, hearing protection, head protection meeting the ANSI Z89 Standard, and leg protection (chainsaw chaps). Gloves are optional but recommended.*
The Chainsaw Maintenance, Safety & Ops is a hands-on course, designed for those with little experience, or those that have never had any professional training on the safe operation of a gasoline powered chainsaw. We will demonstrate and go over the following:
Meet in a classroom for introductions, briefing and a 1 hour Power Point Presentation. Then out to the site to go over the Safety features, the 4 Reactive Forces of a rotating chain, and then a rotational kickback demonstration. The following will be demonstrated, and all participants will have the opportunity to do: (1) Proper starting techniques; (2) Proper cutting stance and techniques; (3) Proper hand grip; (4) Bore/plunge cutting; (5) Basic maintenance and hand sharpening.
Upon completion of the Chainsaw Safety and Operation course, the participant will gain knowledge of and be exposed to the built-in safety features and the 4 reactive forces of a rotating chain. How incredibly fast rotational kickback occurs and how to avoid it from happening by placing the chainsaw to the right of the body when cutting. The proper starting and cutting techniques of a chainsaw. Basic maintenance including air filter cleaning, changing the drive sprocket, re-surfacing the guide bar and hand sharpening.
The Pruning Course is a “hands-on” class. All class participants will be cutting woody plants using the following arborist tools: handsaw, pole saw, pole pruner, hand pruner and loppers. This class will focus on the proper pruning of shade trees and ornamentals, following the ANSI A300 Standard-Part 1. The difference between pruning a shade tree and an ornamental will be demonstrated. A pruning “collar cut” will be demonstrated, showing the proper angle of the cut that will promote the health, vigor and wound sealing of the plant. The instructor will explain using the proper tool for the task at hand. The removal of deadwood, thinning of interfering or rubbing limbs, water sprout thinning/removal and basal sprout removal will all be covered. A handout listing pruning time frames will be distributed (ex. American elm and oak pruning shall be done during the non-growing season). The different pruning terms will be reviewed, and some will be demonstrated, i.e.; crown raising, crown thinning, subordinate pruning
Equipment Requirements
Meet on site. Explain the objectives for this class. Review the ‘Branch Bark Ridge’ and demonstrate proper collar cuts on shade trees and ornamentals. Demonstrate the “3 cut” technique on larger limbs. Demonstrate the use of a handsaw, pole saw, pole pruner, hand pruner and lopper. Proceed onto the “hands-on” portion of the class for the rest of the day, using all of the provided tools. There will be a practical test at the end of the day. Each participant will prune a small tree or ornamental from the ground and be graded on their pruning quality and pruning cuts.
Upon completion of the Pruning module, each participant will gain the knowledge of, or be able to perform the following tasks:
Please fill out the form to register to attend.
